This invention relates to a pipe chain conveyor for metering bulk materials with a pipe arranged as a pipe loop, in which a conveyor chain with a plurality of entraining disks fixed thereon circulates, and a filling opening and a discharge opening in the pipe.
Such pipe chain conveyors (as known, for example) from U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,938 or DE 30 00 575) are used especially in agriculture to feed bulk materials, such as fertilizers and seeds. However, in recent years, pipe chain conveyors have been increasingly installed in industry for metering bulk materials, since they facilitate a pressure-tight construction and a very variable line of travel. The pipes of the pipe chain conveyor, arranged as a loop, can thus lie opposite one another or flat against each other. The pipe bends can be mounted in arbitrary directions in the line of travel. Moreover the pipe chain conveyor is economical to make, relatively easy to service and capable of being erected with no problems, as well as being dust-tight and creating little noise because of the closed construction.
A disadvantage with the usual structure of the pipe chain conveyor is however that the metering accuracy is relatively low, since the filling of the individual chambers formed between the entraining disks can be non-uniform and moreover, in emptying, conveyed material can stick on the conveyor chain connecting the entraining disks and thus reduce the delivered metered volume. Accordingly marked deviations from the theoretical metering accuracy can arise.
JP 63-300918 discloses a pipe chain conveyor wherein the entire pipe loop is supported at central fulcrums and is acting on an electron; scale to obtain a basic weight numeral (value). However, integration of such a pipe conveyor in existing pipes is not possible. Furthermore, the line of travel is not variable.